A.B.U Main Campus Deserted for ASUU Warning Strike

A.B.U Main Campus Deserted As Students Run Home to Spend ASUU Warning Strike

By Aliyu Baba Mohammed

The main campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State is deserted already following the vacation of students from the campus due to the ongoing rollover warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) across the country.

 The university's branch of ASUU has on Wednesday the 16 of February 2022 held a congress after which it announced its solidarity to join the national body of the union in observing the four-week warning strike earlier declared by the ASUU national body to drive home their demands.

 In their swift reactions to the development, the students immediately started leaving the campus to their homes in amazement. The report had it earlier that the students of the institution celebrated the pronouncement of the nationwide strike in their hostels before the institution’s official bulletin to join the strike.

road to social sciences

 According to the statistical report by A.B.U Campus Press reporter, about 75% of the students who interacted with the campus press of the institution said the warning strike is well deserved as they need a free-lecture period to assimilate what they have been taught so far and even read ahead since they already have the course outlines at their disposal.

Busy way before strike

always busy road to main gate, senate, Amina and others

 One of the students, Berende Hassan Bola of the department of mass communication said the strike is an opportunity for him to read some aspects of his courses he couldn't read during the lecture days.

 “Everything that has disadvantages also has advantages. There were a lot of topics I was supposed to have read but I couldn't because of a series of academic and non-academic activities during the lectures. With this strike, I'll try and cover them all and even beyond.”

 Hassan further said if the strike could be well utilized by the students, it will help them to have something to do outside the academic horizon. He advised the students to engage in skill acquisitions to prepare them for future reality after graduation instead of wasting the strike period in unproductive ventures.

 Another student, Saminu Yakubu said he was already stuffed with a series of assignments and presentations before the arrival of the strike. Hence, the strike is more of a rescue mission for him to have relief and get prepared ahead of time.

 “Omo! If I must say, this strike is coming at the right time for most of us. It has been great stress to be candid. Imagine having two presentations and three assignments to carry out within a week. I only pray that it should stop at warning and shouldn't pass the stipulated four-week period.”

 A visit by our reporter to key spots within the campus earlier today revealed that the students were not found at the scenes that are usually beehives of activities on campus. Some of the key spots visited were in the faculties of education, social sciences, life sciences, environmental design, pharmaceutical science, engineering, arts, and others.

popular student garden pharmaceutical science

popular car parking area Education

 Our correspondent was also at ICSA/Ramat hostel where he interacted with a few students. Among them was Isa Ahmad who said he has no plans to travel but from the look of things, he has to go because everybody is leaving.

 “As I'm talking to you, I'm the only one left in our room of six. And whenever I come out to kill the boredom in the room, I see many people leaving. As such, I can't stay here like an orphan (smiles). I'll have to go tomorrow or next.”

 Similar reports were gathered at Amina, Ribadu, and Suleiman hostels on the main campus. Out of sixteen students that chatted with our reporter, only Fatima Muhammad Haruna, Gladys Sokomba, and Wasila Yusuf said they would stay behind since it's just a warning strike and they're from far distances.

 While reacting to the departure of students from the campus, security personnel, Muhammad Abdullahi told A.B.U Campus Press that the safety of students’ properties left in the school is assured.

 “As they are leaving, I'm sure most of them left their valuables in their respective hostels since it's just a warning strike. Therefore, we've made arrangements to ensure that the belongings they left behind are secured.”